Chiapas: The Peace Network visits prisoners from San Sebastián Bachajón

On 27 February, representatives from several civil organizations that comprise the Peace Network visited prisoners from the Other Campaign in San Sebastián Bachajón who have been imprisoned in the State Center of Social Reinsertion of the Sentenced no. 17, in the municipality of Playas de Catazajá. In the interview with the prisoners that lasted about an hour, the imprisoned discussed their situation within the prison and claimed to have been arrested for having defended their land and territory, once again expressing their innocence as regards the crimes of which they have been accused. They denounced that on four occasions state-government officials visited them in prison offering their liberty in exchange for accepting proposals for dialogue. In a communiqué, the Peace Network reported on the visit and expressed its concern for “the lack of will and/or capacity of the state government to intervene in existing conflicts, avoid contributing to them, or indeed finding short-term ‘solutions’ that, in failing, are followed by repression against groups that conflict with their politics.”

In other news, several organizations and persons national and international have called for acts of solidarity to be had on 7 and 8 March to demand the release of the prisoners.